Room of Angel
by magnoliast
Summary: A songfic, taking place during the war. Draco and Hermione run into each other and .. well, you'll just have to read it. Tres angsty. Song: Room of Angel by Akira Yamaoka.


Hermione rushed through the lush forest, feeling the stings of sharp twigs that attacked her as she went. However, she couldn't stop because if she caught her breath for even one minute, it might cost her her life. She saw a clearing ahead and figured she would stop there to take a break, from running perhaps, but not from fear.

The war had been going on for about five months now, and already hundreds had died. They were deadlocked, and some even believed that whichever side killed another person, they were the side that would win. That was ridiculous, at least to her, since she knew that evil didn't back down that easily. She increased her speed slightly, aching to take a break from this chaos.

Draco retreated into the woods after just being injured. Some mudblood actually had the nerve to use a knife on him, rather than magic. That was clearly unfair and underhanded, which surprised him as it was someone from the "good side" who used it on him. In any case, he was now well sheltered in all the leafy glory of the woods. Holding his side, he staggered through the forest, looking for a safe place to rest and heal.

His eyesight was getting foggy, but he could still see a clearing ahead and decided to head for that. As he got closer, he searched for his wand and found it, gripping it tightly. A wizard could never be too sure of what lay ahead, and besides, he needed it to heal the wound. He made his way out of the forest and finally stepped onto the clearing. His eyes widened with shock, but he didn't raise his wand.

_You lie silent there before me .. your tears, they mean nothing to me._

_The wind .. howling at the window._

Hermione's eyes shot up, and lo and behold, there was her beloved enemy. What was he doing here? She stood up quickly, her arm outstretched and holding her wand. She was determined to not let her guard down, because he had seen her weaknesses one too many times. Her eyes narrowed and pierced right through his heart.

He always hated being on the receiving end of those glares. He looked straight back at her, just as determined, and ignored her wand. However, the thought was still in his mind: How could she even point that at him? Suddenly, a pang of pain shot through his wound and he toppled over, groaning.

_The love you never gave, I give to you .. really don't deserve it._

_But now, there's nothing you can do._

She almost let herself go, but held back, assuming that this was some sort of trick to make her do just that. After all, he had tricked her into doing this before; he had that effect on her, but now he was just abusing it. Gripping her wand tighter, she spoke.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" her voice sounded cold and it wasn't as shaky as she had thought it would be.

"Dying of pain," he stated clearly, yet maliciously. Why was she helping him up? Why wasn't she fucking taking care of his injury when he had always taken care of her? Perhaps not in person, but he was always pulling strings from afar. Almost like a guardian angel. She didn't know that, he realized, and regretted sounding so malicious towards her.

Hermione bit her lip. She wasn't going to let herself go, goddamn it. It was enough that she had begged him to stay with her so long ago, and he left anyway. It was almost as if she was being damned to hell after having her first taste of heaven. She wasn't going to forget how he told her that he loved her and would give up everything for her, and in the end went back on everything he said. In fact, not only had he not meant any of it, but his real feelings were the exact opposite. He hated her, despised her, and claimed only to be using her to spy on Dumbledore's side.

_So sleep in your only memory of me, my dearest lover._

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes, it was always you that I despised._

Draco sat up slowly, careful not to irritate the wound. His gaze met hers, and his face was in a grimace from the pain. He saw her expressionless face, and it reminded him of himself. Hermione was not like him, that was for sure. She had emotions, and he would bring them out if it killed him, because he wouldn't allow Hermione to turn into him.

"Thanks for the help, sweetheart," he spat sarcastically.

"Don't .. call me sweetheart," she managed to say. He didn't think it would be that easy, but apparently it was. She remained stoic, but her voice quivered and the words spilled out of her with a mix of malice and betrayal.

_I don't feel enough for you to cry, here's a lullaby to close your eyes .._

_Goodbye._

He stood up slowly, almost as if he were moving in slow motion. He could feel her wand still pointing at him and the confusion overcome by pain radiating from Hermione. He had always been extra perceptive to people's feelings and behaviors. Finally, he turned around to face her again, his eyes hiding anything that could've been going on inside his head at the moment.

"Hermione, put your wand down," he ordered, speaking slowly.

She raised a brow at him, and tilted her head to the side. She knew exactly what he was doing and it hurt her. There was always something inside her that kept screaming "It was all an act, he never meant to do any of it!" but that voice was getting fainter now. Clearly, he was trying to trick her once more.

"No, I don't see any reason why I should," she breathed.

"Well, you're not looking hard enough," he urged, coming off as impatient or annoyed.

_So insignificant, sleeping dormant deep inside of me._

_Are you hiding away, lost, under the sewers?_

He wouldn't dare, she didn't even know how he was managing to do so presently. Even if she did know that this was how he truly felt, that she had always been an object to him, she wouldn't accept it. The obvious reason was to use her, but there had to be something else. She knew it, because she was so connected to him. She knew him better than his own family, better than anyone he had ever known his whole life, and then he up and left her for them. For the ones who didn't deserve him because he was above them. She knew there was more.

"Well, then, _give_ me a reason, Malfoy," her glare deepened, as if challenging him.

"You don't really want to harm me, Hermione," he said, matter-of-factly, a tone she knew well.

"Oh, and I suppose you know that better than I do," her tone was sarcastic and her voice was rising, so was her anger.

"Pretty much," he stated in the same tone he used before.

_Or maybe flying high, in the clouds .._

_Perhaps you're happy without me._

"Of course I want to harm you, you bastard. How dare you even assume that I don't? You deserve every bit of pain I could ever give!" she had let herself go, but at least she exploded with anger, rather than breaking down in tears.

"I never said I don't deserve any pain," he paused, "I just know that you don't want to be the one to inflict it on me." He could've sworn he saw her eye twitch just a little, and her cheeks flushed. However, she managed to keep her cool and not entirely explode.

"You have no idea how much I want to hurt you, Malfoy. Perhaps you mean that I simply wouldn't hurt you, because you've always assumed I never had it in me to hurt anyone," she said as calmly as she could.

"That's not a bad thing. In fact, it's one of the many things I love about you," he responded truthfully.

"That's a lie and you know it! Honestly, after all this time you're still the most treacherous person I've ever met. Give it up, Malfoy."

_So many seeds have been sown in the field,_

_And who could sprout up so blessedly?_

"Hermione," he sighed, "I'm on the dark side. What do you expect? Perhaps a Harry Potter in wolf's clothing? Of course I'm treacherous, it's in my fucking nature! That doesn't mean I don't regret what I did to you, and it doesn't mean ... "

She eyed him suspiciously. She looked around, feeling trapped. Of course he would be the end of her, she felt it from their first malicious glances. By now she was hearing twigs snapping and cloaks swishing in the air, which she had somehow stopped being able to breathe. Her eyes widened and her frightened and accusing gaze fell back to him.

"I know what you're trying to do, but I'm not going to let you bring me down, Malfoy," she said wildly, madly.

"Hermione," the sounds got louder, and therefore closer, "it doesn't mean ..," she would die, she knew it, "I don't love you," his eyes were sincere, almost begging for .. something. She couldn't study it for too long though, for she felt intangible hands grip her throat, and she now doubted Draco's innocence more than ever.

_If I had died, I would have never felt sad at all._

_You will not hear me say "I'm sorry,"_

_Where is the light? I wonder if it's weeping somewhere._

"Avada Kedavra!"

The hands were gone, as if they were never there at all. The noises stopped. It took her a few seconds to figure out what had just happened. It was as if her brain had just turned itself on, and all she could see was her hand outstretched, holding her wand. A lifeless clump of black robes and silver-blonde hair on the ground. She stood there for a moment, a wave or realization coming over her. She had just killed the love of her life, her worst enemy.

She dropped her wand, and the ice that enclosed her melted away. She ran the short distance that separated her from Draco, and fell to her knees right beside him. She realized now that he never once lied to her, and she had only lied to herself. Merlin, did it hurt. She could only put her hand over his open eyes, which were filled with tears, and close them respectfully.

She stood up and gazed at him sadly, but soon turned away. Kneeling down to take her wand, she got up once more and made her way into the forest, although she would never leave his side.

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes, it was always you that I despised._

_I don't feel enough for you to cry, here's a lullaby to close your eyes._

_Goodbye._


End file.
